Episode 9
by Priah
Summary: I don't really think it's even PG; but just to be safe. Anyway, this is just a trilogy of (for themost part) very short mini stories. There isn't the usual detail or background i usually have, but there's explanation to that inside. DracoHermione.
1. The One that Got Away

Hey, everyone. This is a NEW set of one-shots, but once I stop posting, there's not really going to be anymore. Last year in English 9RE my professor, Mdawg as we so fondly called him, gave us semi-weekly writing assignments. It'd just be some weird topic thing and we would write 100wds or so on it. Most of mine are a bit longer than that. Anyway, I wrote most of mine about a girl and a guy... sort of loosely based on D/Hr. They aren't very good, but you have to remember; this was a whole year ago. Anyway, here's the first installment. I apologize for the crappy titles; I didn't think them up; Mdawg did.  
  
-x- -x- -x-  
  
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY  
  
There she is, again, with him. I never see them apart anymore. Worst of all, I hate him. I hate him with a passion rivaled only by my love for her. Every time I see her laugh with him, talk with him, hold his hand, anything that I could never do, I feel constriction in the upper left region of my chest.  
  
It's my fault, really. I pushed her away. Everyone knows how I feel about her; except perhaps her and her little lover-boy. They tried to get me to tell her how I feel, but I just couldn't. We've been friends for so long, I couldn't risk it. "She'll understand, Harry," Ron told me, "Maybe she feels the same way." But I refused; I couldn't do it, and now it's too late.  
  
She could have chosen anyone, but no. It had to be Draco; my most loathed enemy. I can not see what she sees in that insufferable git, but Hermione can see past outer appearances. She saw something in him that I am still blind to; he treats her well, and she nourishes his soul. She brings out the parts of him that Draco was hardly aware of. Yet, she does not see how this is affecting me.  
  
"I'm so happy, Harry! I can't imagine how things could be better," she told me one day as we sat together at lunch.  
  
"That's good, Hermione. I'm happy for you," I told her, although it was a lie. It was then I knew for sure that I could never have her. She was gone to me forever; I let her go that day; it was easer. At least one of us could be happy this way; a confession would only make things complicated. Hermione jumped up, excited, off for a meeting with Draco.  
  
"Goodbye Harry," she said and gave me a friendly hug. I watched her go with a lopsided smile, just in case she looked back. She didn't, and I was sure. She was gone for good.  
  
See? Not exactly a rival to my other work, is it? :oD assig 


	2. Dialogue

This is the next in the list. Don't you love the title?  
  
A DIALOGUE  
  
Draco watched as Hermione settled herself on the floor and began to deal her brand new, plastic wrapped, casino-worthy deck of cards.  
  
"Face up, down, down, down, down, down, down, up, down, down, down, down, down, up..." he thought to himself as he monitored her progress.  
  
"What are you doing, Hermione?" Draco asked, curious.  
  
"Solitaire," she answered simply.  
  
"Oh!" he exclaimed, trying much too hard to hide his confusion. Hermione giggled.  
  
"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"  
  
"Nope," he replied and turned back to his book, pretending not to be interested, while she turned back to her game. Against his will, Draco's eyes drifted back to the cards, watching as Hermione's fingers delicately moved and flipped each one. Then, she sighed and began to collect the cards into one pile. Draco looked from her hands to her face and back as she did this, confused at her action.  
  
"What? That's it? Why did you stop?" he asked, naïve to the mechanics of her mind.  
  
"I won," Hermione said, looking up with a smile.  
  
"You won already? I've never played a game you can win that quickly," he said, looking surprised, and she laughed.  
  
"Haven't you ever played heads-or-tails?" she inquired smartly and with a smirk.  
  
"Yeah, but all you need to win that is the ability to say one word. A griffin could win heads-or-tails, but I doubt it could win slimy-pear or whatever you said it was called."  
  
Hermione laughed again, enjoying the fresh new battle of ignorance verses common knowledge.  
  
"Solitaire, like solitary-as in one... it's a game for one person," she explained and Draco nodded, once again turning back to his book. Hermione sighed deeply and began to shuffle her cards again.  
  
"Okay, what is it?" Draco asked and Hermione turned her head to face him.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Come on, out with it. That was your -something is wrong but I'm not going to say anything because I don't want to bother anyone- sigh. So, tell me what's wrong," he demanded calmly. Hermione smiled at his ability to pick up on an involuntary mannerism as such, and shrugged.  
  
"It's nothing, really; I was just thinking that this game is incredibly boring and that, if I were smart, I would find something better to do," she said, nodded, and slid her cards back into their box.  
  
"Hey, we could always play heads-or-tails," Draco suggested with a smirk and Hermione matched it.  
  
"Oh, sure... just let me get my griffin."  
  
Not much romance, is there? Lol. That's what's weird about these... they're pretty much pointless. 


	3. Clever

Third and last until I can find the other packet of stories; it might be soon, it might be never. I do have a journal this year, but only god knows if we'll ever do anything fun in it. Damn sophomore year. My English teacher actually said, "The themes in this year's reading curriculum are very straightforward and very simple. Death, doom, and destruction." Wow. I feel awful chipper.  
  
-x- -x- -x-  
  
CLEVER  
  
Hermione poured through the pile of books on the desk in front of her. Why she couldn't find what she was looking for, she had no idea, but this search was getting frustrating. The librarian, Madam Pince, was glaring at her from the corner of her eye as she scribbled in a notebook. Madam Pince was not a pleasant woman, in any case. She was short and thin with horn rimmed glasses tied on a gold chain around her neck.  
  
Hermione scowled at the patronizing woman and turned back to her book; the same book she'd been reading for the past two hours. This was getting ridiculous. There was nothing and she knew it. It was amazing that the Hogwarts Library held no one book on the Scazindary Potion, used to cure mild cases of schizophrenia.  
  
In one quick motion, Hermione slammed her book closed, causing all the occupants of the library to look to her, startled. The angry brunette with a need for Potion preface sent a blazing glare across the vast room. One by one, each person went back to their work, silently deciding she wasn't to be messed with. That is, all but one.  
  
A blonde haired boy in the far corner kept his eyes on Hermione as she scared away all other onlookers. He was in no way intimidated by this hot- headed female and her anger was like opportunity knocking. When Hermione gave up on her glaring and let her head fall hard against the wooden table in front of her, her watcher smiled.  
  
The boy emerged from the shadows, holding a thick book in one hand. He crept slowly toward Hermione, unnoticed by the girl who was now consistently slamming her forehead to the redwood. Smirking, he remained silent, leaning against a nearby bookshelf. He was enjoying this. When Hermione stopped her self-torture, he made his presence known.  
  
"Having trouble, Granger?" he asked, still wearing that smirk, and Hermione looked up. Draco Malfoy stood in front of her in his high priced cloak and uniform, a chain around his neck and a quill behind his ear. Hermione sighed; her day was already going horribly, it wasn't' surprising to see her mortal enemy added to the concoction.  
  
"If you must know, Malfoy, yes I am. You are not helping." Draco shrugged.  
  
"I suppose that's true," he said, but ended with that, keeping eye contact. Hermione groaned.  
  
"Can I help you with something?" she asked in hopes that he would admit that he had no reason to be there and leave. No such luck. Draco remained silent for a moment, then took a step toward her, setting his book on the table before seating himself. When Hermione's eyes landed on his tome, her mouth dropped open. Noticing this, Draco looked down at the book, then back to her face. His incorrigible smirk grew.  
  
"Problem?" he asked, just to spite her. Hermione closed her mouth and reestablished her glare.  
  
"I need that book," she said forcefully and Draco seemed a bit surprised. He looked down at his book again: 'Everything you've ever wanted to know about health potions.' Well, this was unexpected. He looked up again.  
  
"Well, well, well. How interesting," he said, running a pale finger over the cover, smug smirk returning. Hermione held out her hand.  
  
"Can I have it, please?" she asked nicely, but was fairly sure it wouldn't be that easy.  
  
"Oh, I don't know; I don't think I'm quite finished with it yet." With a frustrated sigh, Hermione ollapsed forward onto the table.  
  
"Come on, Malfoy... what can you possibly need it for? You don't even take Snape's NEWTS class." Draco shrugged.  
  
"I have unorthodox literary preferences," he said, then opened the text, pretending to be interested. Hermione let out another exasperated sigh.  
  
"Please, Malfoy; I'm begging you. I've been here for hours and I've gotten no where; ten minutes with that and I'll have everything I need. This is a life or death situation; I think Snape is on the verge of kicking me out just because he doesn't like me... I really need to dazzle him this time. Curse this incompetent information resource known as the library," she ranted, growing flustered and digging her fingers into her hair. Draco looked on with amusement; it wasn't everyday that this classmate spoke to him, much less begged on bended knees for his help. This realization would have been enough for most people to stop the games and hand over the book, but not Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Unfortunately, my dear Granger, that is not my problem." He turned back to the text, not reading, but observing his pleading peer.  
  
"Okay, what do you want?" Hermione asked, assuming he just needed something in return. A slow smile crawled onto Draco's face.  
  
"Property of at least sixty percent of England, Donald Trump's credit card, an original manuscript by William Shakespeare, and a lifetime supply of pop- tarts," he said seriously and paused while Hermione rolled her eyes. Then, he looked up. "Oh, and world peace."  
  
"Is the sarcasm really necessary? And how do you even know what pop-tarts are?"  
  
"Yes, yes it is... and that is not of your concern." She sighed deeply.  
  
"Alright, what do you want that I am capable of giving you?" Draco thought about this for a moment.  
  
"Do my homework for the rest of the semester," he said demandingly rather than questioningly and Hermione's jaw dropped.  
  
"Are you insane?!" she shouted. "First of all, the semester's barely started; we have a huge research project due in three weeks and I don't take half your courses. Secondly, you're not exactly the most energetic ferret in the wire-wheel that is this learning establishment; someone would surely notice. That arrangement would screw both of us over! I ask again, are you bloody mad?" Draco laughed, shaking his head.  
  
"You think I'm actually going to hand it in as is? I'll be proofreading everything, Granger. If you thought otherwise, I do believe it is you who is daft. I fully plan to learn it all myself, and possibly even do some of the assignments over; I just want to watch you suffer," he said with a mocking smile. Hermione clenched her teeth.  
  
"Not only are you an insufferable git, you're an idiot. I could just say I would -sure, Malfoy. I'll do it; no problem!- Take my book, do my paper, and deny this conversation ever happened. How dense can you be?" Hermione questioned. Draco looked taken aback. He thought about her words, watching as she fumed, and slowly smirked.  
  
"Clever you are, Hermione. I stand defeated. I had, in fact, not thought of that." He paused as triumph infested his table-mate's features. "Good thing you reminded me; now I can clear up this little problem," Draco said as if she'd really meant to jog his memory, then his tone grew serious. "Back out now and I'll tell Snape you I saw you in the restricted section without a pass." Hermione gasped.  
  
"He'd kick me out for sure!" she nearly shouted, causing Ms. Pince to send her a sharp 'shh!' "And besides; I HAVEN'T used the restricted section. If I had, I wouldn't need that miserable excuse for a textbook, would I?" she whispered harshly and Draco shrugged.  
  
"Most likely not, but that is not of my concern. Who will he believe, Hermione? You over me? Unlikely."  
  
"This is blackmail, Draco. Want detention again? I could just tell Hagrid..."  
  
"He can't do anything; the oaf. I don't even TAKE his class anymore; for what reason could he use? Malfie tattled?" Draco sighed, looking up at the clock over the entry doors. The 'students' spoon was nearly at period six. "Look, do you want the book or not? I have a class in ten minutes and I'd hate to have to lug this thing around campus... but of course, I will if I must. Just say the word." Hermione rested her forehead against her wrist.  
  
"Think about what you're asking here, Draco. This is an unsurpassable opportunity for you; are you willing to waste it just so I have extra homework? Is that at all ethical?"  
  
"In most cases, I am not a man of ethics... but you prove an interest point. All right, new plan; you know the witch-doctor librarian over there?" Draco asked, nodding his head in the direction of Ms. Pince.  
  
"Yes..." Hermione said suspiciously.  
  
"She confiscated my seeking glove because I was trying to charm it to attract the snitch... it's in the top drawer of her desk over there, left side. Help me get it."  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"That's it," Draco cleared and held out his hand. Tentatively, Hermione took it.  
  
"All right, what do you want me to do?" she asked, and he shrugged.  
  
"Create a diversion so I can take it without getting caught."  
  
"And how exactly am I to do that?" Hermione asked sarcastically and Draco shrugged again.  
  
"Go bust those snoggers in the corner; speak loudly, and that boy might try to curse you. Perfect."  
  
Suddenly, Selene smirked deviously,, but it was gone in a second.  
  
"I have a better idea," she shared and Draco looked interested.  
  
"Do tell," he encouraged. Hermione pretended to start, then shook her head and stood. Thinking she was about to leave, Draco got to his feet and towered over her. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously, stepping away rom the table and toward her. Hermione tried to look innocent, but quickly abandoned her efforts, drop kicking her enemy in the abdomen. Wheezing, Draco dropped to his knees, eyes wide and arms tightly crossed around himself.  
  
"I was hoping those karate classes would pay off... at least those cute instructors were worth it," Hermione said. Draco's only response was another wheeze. "don't underestimate people, Malfoy. Peale underestimate me; big mistake." After carefully stepping around the crumped body of her victim, Selene picked up the book she'd worked so hard for and made her way to Ms. Pince, who said nothing about the agony bidden boy on the floor.  
  
Selene was about to leave, but then turned back to Draco. He was slowly attempting to stand. With an icy glare, she addressed him.  
  
Don't mess with me, Malfoy. If I ask you for something, you sure as a married virgin better give it to me. Good day; I believe you have a class?" Without waiting for an answer, Hermione turned on her heel and left the library. All Draco could do was watch and attempt to catch his breath. He certainly hadn't been expecting that.  
  
"Clever, that one. Brutal, but clever."  
  
Fin (o es?) 


End file.
